Jovic's Lesson After Losing to Sabalenka: "Now I Know for Next Time"
The young American fought in the press conference to hide her sadness for her elimination in Australia and compensate for it with her great performance in the tournament.
The adventure of Iva Jovic at this 2026 Australian Open has come to an end, although not in a way that does her justice. The American was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Aryna Sabalenka, who only allowed her to win three games.
Iva Jovic should not leave frustrated from this 2026 Australian Open, although at times that might have been the emotion she felt at the Rod Laver Arena in her match against Aryna Sabalenka. After achieving the best result of her Grand Slam career, the 18-year-old player was unable to trouble the world No.1, but she will have time to continue improving. Today we couldn't see her best version, although she didn't lack a smile in the press room before heading home.
Match Assessment
“Today, I think I was very aware of the position I was in when entering the tournament, although I have to be very happy with this result. It's difficult every time you lose, obviously this is not the result I wanted today, but yes, overall I am happy to leave”.
First Meeting with Sabalenka
“I entered the match not knowing much about how everything would be on the court, how it would be in person, as I had never hit with her in the past. It was our first meeting, but she showed the great level she has. That's what I could expect, considering all her incredible achievements. I tried to find that middle ground, I wanted to be able to adapt to her game, which is always necessary with playing styles. However, I couldn't do it, but credit to her for the level she was able to produce”.
What do you ask of your coaches?
“It depends a lot on the situation, I don't have much experience with on-court coaching yet, but in general, I have never been a player who turned to the coaches too much. I usually like to solve things on my own, so I don't ask for a crazy amount of tactical information. I just expect them to encourage me if something goes wrong, although that's where they should give me some specific advice”.
Dealing with the Heat
“It's true that it was very hot, maybe I wasn't used to something like that. I'm used to the weather in Los Angeles, so I'm gradually improving when playing under these conditions. Obviously, you have to be very fit and be able to endure throughout the match. I don't think this factor played any role because it wasn't a very long or crazy match. It's tough in Melbourne, it can be very cold one day and very hot the next. There are many different conditions you have to be prepared for”.
Novak Djokovic, her Inspiration
“I admire the way he suffocates his opponents, how he plays in crucial moments, the big points, showing that he can play defensively but also offensively. The way he approaches his game is impressive, I really like it. I think it was Andre Agassi who compared him to a boxer and the way he throws punches. His way of addressing matches is incredible, I hope someday to be able to emulate that”.
Facing the No.1 at Rod Laver Arena
“I don't think I felt anything different, every match here has been great, playing at these levels is a dream for me. I was in the quarterfinals, but I hope to be in many more quarterfinals, so a win or a loss won't break my career. Aryna played very well, it was tough, maybe I could have done things differently, but that's tennis. The career she is having is amazing, very inspiring. I know her story well, how she used negative moments, as well as people, and in the end that translated into motivation and fuel to be better. I hope to have more chances to play against her, she was very kind to me at the end of the match”.
Iva Jovic Reveals the Lesson Learned After Losing to Sabalenka
“I spoke with my coach and there are a couple of things I need to work on immediately for the upcoming tournaments. When you play against someone as powerful as Aryna, who hits the ball like that and doesn't let you get into the points, you have to accept it and adjust your pace because you can't choose how the game will go. You have to accept that everything will be fast and short, so you have to match that extreme. Anything else won’t work, so now I know for next time, where I will try to change things. Fortunately, in tennis, there is always a next time”.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La lección de Jovic tras perder con Sabalenka: “Ahora ya lo sé para la próxima vez”